Rishi Sunak, Britain’s first Asian prime minister of Indian origin and a devoted Hindu , is out after about two tumultuous years in office. The Conservative party under Rishi Sunak had faced a landslide defeat with the voters going over to the Labour Party in droves. In the national elections held on July 4.

Across the pond, the talk is veering around Kamala Harris, currently the running mate of US president Joe Biden, as the democratic nominee for the president in place of the incumbent.

Following his demented performance at the debate on June 27, Democratic Party is convinced Biden is no winning candidate. A document, quoted by CNN, states: “There’s one path out of this mess, and it’s Kamala. Kamala Harris has the strongest claim to Democratic legitimacy. She is the only candidate who can take the reins right now, instead of in late August with less than three months left to go. She has significant and widely underplayed electoral advantages. She can win.”

If elected, and that is a big if, it would be another person of Asian or more particularly of Indian origin, attaining the highest office of the land of their adopted countries.

In Britain, Rishi Sunak, wore the mantle at a time of crisis when erstwhile incumbent prime minister had lost all credibility after blatantly lying about his “partying” during the COVID restrictions. Immediately following his resignation, another Conservative Liz Truss, had taken over as prime minister.

But Truss had to beat a hasty retreat with her botched tax programmes and messy economic situation. It was then that Sunak had stepped in.

Sunak was a professional and he was viewed as such. He was the youngest prime minister in a while, and in leaving office, he would be one of the youngest former prime minister too. Sunak had a courage of conviction and he showed his colours, lighting festive candles during Diwali at the Number 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the British Prime Minister.

Nevertheless, despite his experience as the Chancellor of the Exchequer under Boris Johnson, he failed to rejuvenate the country’s economy, Prices were raging and the common man was facing hardship.

In the midst of their suffering, the public perception was about his personal wealth and the fact that his wife was the richest woman in Britain. While Sunak had done a good job offering support for those who could not work due to COIVD restrictions, post COVID he had to raise taxes.

At the same time, talks veered around his wife tax arrangements and her legal ways of avoiding paying taxes in the UK. Somehow or other, his wealth his privileged educational background all alienated him from the ordinary people.

Across the Atlantic, following the disastrous performance of Joe Biden in his TV debate with Donald Trump, talks in the Democratic Party inside circles are revolving around Kamala Harris replacing Joe Biden as a contender.

So much so, that Democratic Party insiders are only debating about who should be the running mate for Harris from among the leading Democratic figures. The belief is that Harris would give a befitting fight to Donald Trump as she had been in the Biden’s campaign loop already.

Indeed, Donald trump’s campaign staff are also expecting as much. Trump had started attacking Harris increasingly of late. Additionally, Harris would just step into the shoes of Biden as the candidate and all his campaign funds and expertise and people should be available to her.

Nominating Kamala Harris “is about strategy and winning in the face of unimaginable electoral stakes. The anti-Trump coalition cannot afford to discount the strengths of the nominated Democratic running mate and current vice president. She’s not the best option — she’s the only realistic option to win”, said a prominent Democratic politician.

If elected, Harris would make history. She would be the first Asian or Brown candidate to be the president of the United States, and she would be the first lady president. One Indian origin PM left his chair in Britain. At the other side of the Atlantic, another Indian origin Kamal Harris is emerging as the potential presidential candidate of the world’ biggest power, the United States, if she is finally nominated at the August convention of the Democratic Party. (IPA Service)